Skip the Use

Previously known as punk outfit Carving, French quintet Skip the Use took their name change as a catalyst for a new direction, opting to pursue an angular electro-rock sound that saw them hailed as their homeland's answer to Bloc Party. Forming the band in Lille in 2008, frontman Mat Bastard, guitarist Yan Stefani, bassist Jay Gimenez, keyboardist Lio Raepsaet, and drummer Manamax Catteloin first came to attention with the group's 2009 self-titled debut album. Following a European and Canadian tour and the release of the 2011 EP Sound from the Shadow, they headed into the studio with LCD Soundsystem producer Tim Goldsworthy to record their sophomore full-length, Can Be Late, which was released to critical acclaim in 2012. ~ Jon O'Brien